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MY TAKE ON THE LUZERNE COUNTY 2009 ELECTION
Posted in: Blog by admin on November 16, 2009
The 2009 Luzerne County election results were a mixed bag.
It seems that the corruption news permeating the county recently had an impact.
It affected results in several races. It also contributed to the low voter turnout.
If you were in anyway associated with the principals named in the scandal so far, you suffered at the polls.
Whether it portends Republican Party resurgence and Democratic Party demise is less clear.
The photo that put Judge Olszewski, Jr. socializing in the living room of the Florida condo owned by ex-judges Conahan and Ciavarella clearly hurt his retention chances.
Carolee Olenginski was helped in that the Prothonotary’s office she sought was recently held by Jill Moran was law partner to “kids for cash’ juvenile detention center owner Robert Powell. It also didn’t hurt that Carolee’s opponent was married to a man who was also was implicated in the county corruption scandal.
Dottie Stankovic’s vote totals were reduced from her usual high levels seemingly because of questions about work habits unique to her, not all incumbents.
Republicans might take glee in the results, but the two Democrats running for Controller got more votes together than winner Republican Walter Griffith. Independent (Democrat) Wil Toole’s candidacy was a spoiler. Stankovic in the end did hold on. And Democrats won the two open judgeships despite a very well publicized push by the Republicans to “bullet-vote” for their candidate, Richard Hughes. Democrat Amesbury had no newspaper or radio talk-show endorsements and won. GOP star Lou Barletta made automated phone calls for some candidates and he didn’t seem to have coattails.
Despite the toxic atmosphere among county voters, Democratic efforts weren’t crushed. They had some bright spots yesterday. There was no Republican sweep despite their aggressive attempt to re-brand their party in the county and cast all Democrats as crooks.